Though we should go to the Raumen Museum to take in a bit of food history and culture on our last day in Japan.
You have got to love the Japanese vending machines they are everywhere to speed up services, but if you stand long enough a sweet young thing will come over to assist you. It was clear to her by the merriest of our hesitations that we were challenged old people so she pointed us to the "Blue Section" that of a pensioner age ...over 60, she smiles and presses the 2 old farts button, so with our tickets in hand and school yard giggles we head straight for the first seat to rest awhile as to not alert her. Naughty old farts, but sometimes its just to difficult to re-explain!!!
With our little rest over we slowly start to make our way around the museum just in case she is on to us.
It's a food museum on the history of Raumen "noodles" you didn't think Sandy would let a day go by without something to do with cooking and or food involved!
Hay the best thing about this museum apart from the history was it has loads of Raumen Restaurants with actual food to actually eat all located in the basement. It has been set up like a old street scape from the past showcasing many different styles on noodles thought the world and through time and flavour combinations. What a cool thing to do history and eating. Once in the basement you would think it is a night time street ... just amazing.
Great another vending machine, this one has a English menu hung on the side but again the Japanese people waiting in the queues were more that helpful.
3 little tickets for 2 different styles of noodles and a glass of plum wine then we wait 15mins until a table is available, just long enough to be able to work the Japanese crowd.
The atmosphere is simply fantastic, one just cant stop smiling.
Your time starts now, great way to feed a huge crowd via a vending machine as it would have been from the 1950's so that once you we at the table the food followed soon after.
Eat slowly Pete, you don't want this experience to finish to soon.
Todays restaurant only seated about 16 people but there are about 10 other restaurants in the museum.
This restaurant style shows where Kumamoto Tonkotsu based Raumen originated. Founder in 1954, this historic Raumen restaurant serves a mild flavoured soup that combines chicken bones and vegetable broth over a Tonkotsu (pork bone) base.
The soup includes its own specially flavoured garlic oil, and home-roasted, crumbled garlic chips scattered on top server with pork two ways YUMO.
The second dish was of a soup base made with shitake mushrooms and pepper as its base and pork with cabbage... a flavour explosion
The wall art soooo Japanese
The little ally ways all so authentic
Our second stop on the next level up, you can order all 1/2 serves so you can experience another style of Raumen restaurant.
Cold noodle with ginger and soy
Lastly a soup base from dried tuna and kelp also using pork and chicken bones and was pork with ginger and shallots this was the winner hands down.
so back to the surface for a wander in the museum to get the history from 1488
to the 21st century so interesting
And to finally what Sandy was interested in was the UMAMI or as we all know it as MSG
Apparently in Japanese food from these 4 sources
Sea Kelp
Dried Bonito
Shiitake Mushrooms
Clams
Information overload !!!!! but if you want to know more.
Reference: Japan Umami Flavor Enhancer Association website
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